A couple of things I found noteworthy in Hirsh's piece:
The first is one Dave mentioned in his post but for somewhat different reasons. Hirsh said, "Now it's McCain who has laid out a clear -- if questionably feasible -- energy vision for the future." Uh... if it's questionable how is it a clear vision? Clearly questionable maybe. I seem to recall someone else mentioning "clear vision" a lot during the campaign four years ago -- one that was equally questionable at the time and proven profoundly myopic thereafter. Maybe we should call it the Mr. Magoo energy policy. Magoo was equally certain of himself for all the wrong reasons. The only problem with that idea is, only those around McCain's age are likely to understand the reference. Then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing.

The other is this: Hirsh says, "True, Obama has called for an investment of $150 billion over 10 years, dwarfing McCain's incentive plan..." What incentive plan? Whatever it is, does it include nuclear power? Apparently not, because if that idea was included it wouldn't be McCain's plan that was "dwarfed".

Despite the "Through the Lookingglass" tone of Hirsh's article though, unfortunately I think he gets one very important thing right: that's what campaigns are. Most people are as confused as Alice. And that, I think, is an important thing to keep in mind.

A traditional version of this tale, which some trace to Aesop, runs something like this:

"A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion says, "Because if I do, I will die too."

The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown, but has just enough time to gasp "Why?"

"I am a scorpion. It is my nature""

Seems to have some wider relevance than just the media right now, huh?

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.